What Holds Us
by RobicheauxRocks101
Summary: Jack and Ennis parted ways after the Summer of '63. Jack got married and had a son of his own, but he still craves something more. He returns to Ennis, ready to do everything to convince him to be with him forever, but what he didn't count on was that Ennis had kept a little piece of him after that Summer after all. Mpreg! Reviews would be appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Ennis never saw it coming. When he returned home to Riverton the debilitating sickness still hadn't run its course.

That day he and Jack had come down from Brokeback, he hadn't gotten halfway down the street before going to his knees and vomiting behind the old laundromat building.

That should have been the end of that mess. The flu had been going around, and he assumed that's what it was. But then it was nearly three weeks later and he was still feeling like the back end of a steer.

"I've told you time and again to see a doctor." Alma told him when she'd come over to his brother's place one night to make Ennis's supper.

"Don't got the money." Ennis replied.

"Don't bother, Alma." K.E. told his sister in law while his wife, Elllie, was busting herself with the baby. "He ain't been to a doctor since he was two and I doubt he'll be goin back anytime soon."

"Well I'm worried." Alma sighed.

"Don't be." Was all Ennis said.

Of course things didn't get better. Ennis continued to be ailed by whatever sickness was plaguing him, and Alma continued to nag at him to see a doctor, which he finally decided to do, as long as it got her off his back.

Unfortunately for Ennis it turned out to make things worse. The diagnosis led to Alma packing up and taking off, never to return to him.

There really wasn't anything he could've done for it, though. Once she found out what was wrong with him, he was forced to reveal the secret of his little affair that past Summer.

For Alma, finding out her soon to be husband was pregnant with some other man's baby was just too much to handle.

Ennis's sister, Laura Lynn, came as soon as K.E. told her the news. Ennis needed a woman to help him through this unfortunate situation and she was the closest thing to a mother that he had.

Of course he didn't want to talk about it. In fact, for the longest time he flat out denied it, mumbling to himself, calling the doctor a dumb ass quack who didn't know nothin' about anything.

It got kind of hard to keep denying it when he started showing, but he still wouldn't admit to it. Laura Lynn didn't push him. She knew how hard it was for him to deal with the whole thing. Not only had he been outed, but he was also becoming a single parent. That was rough, especially for someone like Ennis. But despite her not wanting to upset him, there was one thing that she had to know.

"I assume you know who the father is?" She asked him one night after supper.

Ennis didn't answer her and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Don't talk to me. But you're gonna need help and I ain't gonna be here forever. I just thought maybe you could give the fella a call." She told him.

Ennis still refused to respond. He still wouldn't talk about anything that had to do with his current 'condition', especially not the identity of the baby's daddy.

Of course he'd thought about getting a hold of Jack. He'd thought about it a lot, over and over again, but he had no idea where to find him, or what number to call or anything. He really wished he would have got the name of Jack's folks to put in a phone call to them. Maybe they'd know where Jack was, but unfortunately he didn't have a clue as to how to contact them either.

So it was looking like he'd have to raise their kid by himself. At least until he found a way to locate that damned Jack Fuckin' Twist.

With the due date starting to creep up on him, Laura Lynn went out and found Ennis a nice midwife who could keep a secret.

The kind old woman did her job well, and on May 2 1964, a beautiful blue eyed baby boy was born, sporting a full head of soft dark hair. He was the spitting image of Jack.

"Well now, what do you wanna name this handsome little fella?" The grey haired midwife asked Ennis once they were both cleaned up and resting comfortably in bed.

"I like Henry." Laura Lynn suggested, cracking a smile. She knew Ennis detested the name since he'd met that stuck up rich boy in high school that always gave him trouble.

"Ain't namin' him after that bastard..." He mumbled, keeping his eyes on his newborn son.

"Well how about ya name him after Daddy?" She then suggested.

"That's K.E.'s name..." Ennis reminded her.

"Well then Ennis Del Mar, you just pick somethin!" Laura Lynn ushered him. "Miss Gretchen's got a husband to get home and feed."

"Oh it's alright." The midwife assured her with a kind smile before looking down at Ennis. "You take your time honey. It's an important decision to make."

"Jack." Ennis said immediately after she stopped talking.

"Well that was fast." His sister chuckled.

"I think it's a fine name. Fit for a strong young man." The midwife smiled, writing the name down on the baby's papers. "Jack Del Mar..."

"No." Ennis stopped her. "Jack Twist. Jack Daniel Twist Jr."

"Well alright then..." The midwife agreed, fixing her mistake.

Laura Lynn frowned, but she didn't question Ennis. She didn't want to upset him.

...

"What're ya doin' there, honey?" Lureen asked Jack while he sat at her work desk by lamplight, a blank postcard infront of him.

"Oh just tryin' to think of what to say." Jack replied.

"Is this about your old fishin' buddy?" Lureen asked. "You two musta been awfully close. I ain't ever seen ya put this much thought into somethin'."

"Like brothers." Jack confirmed, yawning deeply.

"Well don't stay up to late." Lureen told him, pecking his cheek before heading back for the hallway to their bedroom. "We got a new model comin' in tomorrow mornin'. Daddy wants us up bright and early."

Jack rolled his eyes. Fucking L.D. Newsome. God he hated that old son of a bitch.

"Oh Ennis..." He muttered softly, rubbing his aching head with one hand as he kept looking down at the blank postcard infront of him.

What was he supposed to say? And how the hell was he supposed to say it?

...

"Daddy!" Little Jack Jr. shouted with glee as he jumped up from the floor and his toys and ran to hug Ennis.

"Hey, son." Ennis replied, voice barely audible before he nodded to the babysitter. "Thank ya, mam." He told her.

"You're welcome, Ennis." The young woman smiled back and waved to him. She didn't need a long drawn out thank you from him. Everyone who knew Ennis Del Mar knew he was a man of few words.

"Daddy? I'm hungry." Jack Jr. complained after Ennis buckled him into his booster seat in the truck.

"We'll get somethin'." Ennis promised him. They'd probably just pick up a couple of burgers from the cafe again.

"Miss Kim and me saw a big deer today!" Jack Jr. then told his Daddy. "It was out her window! I coulda rode it like a big buckin' bull!"

There wasn't a lick of difference between Jack Jr. and the old rodeo fuck up himself. That, Ennis was sure of. Little Jack, or LJ for short, never stopped running his mouth. Even if he ran out of words he'd still find some way to talk your ear off.

"Where are we goin now?" LJ asked, noticing that instead of pulling into the cafe, Ennis was stopping the truck at the post office.

"I gotta get the mail." Ennis told him. "Come here, stud." He got out of the truck then lifted little LJ out too. Ennis never talked to anyone unless he had too, but LJ was a different story. After all, he was his only child.

"Did Aunt Lee Lee send me my birthday dollars?" LJ asked, holding onto Ennis's hand while he got the mail from their box.

"Your birthday ain't till May." Ennis reminded his son, letting an amused little smirk cross his face.

"But I need dollars for the gum balls at the store!" LJ complained.

"Come here..." Ennis told him, lifting the little boy up again once he'd gathered all of the mail.

"I want a cheeseburger." LJ told him once they'd gotten out to the truck.

"We'll get ya one..." Ennis promised, looking through the mail.

"Can I have ice cream too?" LJ asked, kicking his little legs to entertain himself.

"We'll see if you eat all your..." Ennis stopped mid sentence when he found the post card.

"Daddy?" LJ asked, poking his arm.

Ennis put the rest of the mail down and held the post card up closer to look at it.

"Daddy!" LJ called again.

"Hold on..." Ennis replied, searching the truck for a pen.

There wasn't anytime to waste with this one. It might be his only chance to contact Jack.

...

"Daddy? Am I in trouble?" LJ asked when Ennis say him down in the living room later. Usually he only say there when he was in time out.

"No." Ennis assured him. "Gotta tell ya somethin."

"What? Did my butterfly get eated by a froggie?" LJ asked, lip pooched out sadly.

"No. We got a visitor comin' up in a couple days." Ennis said.

"Who is it?" LJ asked, fidgeting in his seat out of boredom.

Ennis scratched the back of his head. How were you supposed to explain things like this to a child?

"Hey..." He finally muttered. "Uh...you know about your other Daddy?"

"Uh huh." LJ nodded. "You said he rides big buckin' bulls."

"That's right." Ennis nodded.

"Is he comin' to see me?" LJ asked hopefully.

Ennis nodded slowly again. Finally after four long years, Jack was coming back, and though he didn't know it, he was coming back to quite a big surprise.

TBC


	2. Reunion

"But I wanna see my Daddy now." LJ complained while Ennis buttoned up his little coat. He was going to stay with his Aunt for the night until Ennis could break the news to Jack.

"You'll see him tomorrow mornin'." Ennis assured his son, hugging him and kissing his forehead before handing him off to Laura Lynn. "Be a good boy for your Aunt Lee Lee, alright?"

LJ nodded. "When I wake up can I come see Daddy?" He asked.

"Yep. Tomorrow mornin'." Ennis confirmed.

"In the meantime, you and me are gonna go help Uncle Charlie work the big cows." Laura Lynn told LJ as she carried the little boy towards the front door.

"Yay!" LJ cheered. He loved getting to help with ranch work and it made Ennis proud.

"Bye son." Ennis waved to his child.

"Bye Daddy!" LJ waved back.

"Good luck Ennis." Laura Lynn called to her brother before they walked outside to her truck. "Call me in the mornin!"

Ennis watched them go then went to the fridge to grab a beer. He needed to calm his nerves. Jack Twist, the father of his child and the only person he ever really loved, was going to be back in his life in less than an hour.

How was he going to tell him? What was he supposed to say? He hadn't a clue, but he knew he had to figure something out quick.

Four beers later, and almost an entire pack of cigarettes down, Ennis still hadn't put a very convincing explanation together.

He cracked open another bottle of the calming amber beverage and took a long swig from it, hoping to gain a little strength as well as some inspiration.

He didn't have much more time to think about it though, for as soon as he'd opened his fifth beer the sound of a pick up pulling up to the driveway downstairs filled his little apartment.

Ennis opened his eyes up and stood from the couch, setting down his beer and heading for the window.

His heart flew to his throat when he saw Jack stepping out of his shiny red truck, and without thinking he rushed for the door, tucking his shirt into his jeans as he ran.

Jack heard the door slam shut and looked up as Ennis came out onto the tiny balcony.

"Jack Fuckin' Twist!" He exclaimed, happier than he'd been for a long time.

Jack's face broke into a wide, glee filled smile and he hurried up the driveway to Ennis.

Ennis came running down the steps at the same time and they met in the middle, joining together in a tight, warm embrace.

"Son of a bitch..." Jack muttered, almost not believing that he finally had Ennis in his arms again.

Ennis slowly pulled back from Jack a little. "Comere'..." He muttered, grabbing Jack by his vest and backing him up into the wall.

Jack closed his eyes as Ennis's lips joined his roughly, and his hand came up to tangle itself into soft blonde curls.

Ennis kissed Jack with passion that Jack had never seen in the other man, and hope fluttered in his heart. Maybe convincing him to stay together wouldn't be so hard after all.

Jack pulled back a little to look into Ennis's eyes, then almost as quickly as he pulled back and shoved forward again, smashing their mouths together once more.

Ennis grabbed hold of him and held him tightly as Jack claimed his mouth over and over again.

"Jack..." He whispered, finally gaining some sense back and pulling slowly away.

Jack kept trying to join their lips together again, but Ennis turned his head away, afraid of being seen.

"Hey..." He muttered, nuzzling Jack's face before pulling away from him completely. "Later..." He promised then, turning and walking back towards the steps to his apartment, looking around to be sure nobody had seen their passionate reunion.

Jack took a second to catch his breath before following Ennis up the stairs, determined to do everything in his power to make him his once and for all.

...

"Four years..." Jack muttered in disbelief. "Damn."

"Yeah, four years..." Ennis mumbled in reply, while they laid, naked and wrapped in each other's arms in a cheap motel room outside of town.

Ennis hadn't wanted to risk anyone walking in on them back at his apartment, so he and Jack had rented a motel room for the night to continue their happy reunion.

"Didn't think I'd hear from you again." Ennis admitted while Jack nuzzled the back of his head. "I figured you was sore from that punch."

Jack sighed and laid his head against Ennis's. "Well that next Summer I drove up to Brokeback. Talked to Agurrie about a job, and he told me you hadn't been back so I left."

Ennis placed his cigarette between his lips, heart racing with anticipation.

"Went down to Texas for rodeoin'." Jack continued. "That's how I met Lureen. Made two thousand dollars that year bull Ridin' and nearly starved."

"Hm..." Ennis mumbled to show he was listening.

"I swear to God I didn't know we was gonna get into this again." Jack said after awhile of story telling. He then cracked a big grin and nuzzled against Ennis. "Oh yes I did." He admitted. "I redlined it all the way. I couldn't get here fast enough."

Ennis grinned a little and let out a quiet chuckle.

"What about you?" Jack asked, pressing his face into Ennis's blonde curls.

Ennis took a drag off his cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke nervously out into the room. Time for a story of his own.

"Gotta tell ya somethin'." He muttered.

"Shoot." Jack replied, still holding him against his body, tightly.

"I uh...well ya know I got a kid." Ennis started.

"Uh huh." Jack nodded with a yawn. Ennis had told him he had a little boy. He'd assumed Alma had left the kid for Ennis to raise by himself. Boy was he in for a shock.

"He's a good boy..." Ennis muttered. "Got a good heart ya know. Strong, and smart..."

"Sure. Like his Daddy, right?" Jack smiled.

Ennis got quiet for a while before answering. "Depends..." He mumbled. "You anything like that?"

"Me?" Jack asked. "What's this got to do with me?"

Ennis got quiet again.

"Ennis?" Jack asked. "You alright? What's the matter?"

"Jack I uh..." Ennis tried again. "My boy...he's uh..."

Jack's eyes began to widen as he started connecting the dots.

"He's yours..." Ennis finally managed to get out.

Jack's jaw dropped in shock and he took his arm out from around Ennis, sitting up slowly from the bed and lowering his head into his hands.

Ennis's heart sank. What if he drove him away? Sure they couldn't exactly be together anyway, but he didn't wanna lose what little they had.

"Jack?" He asked, sitting up with the dark haired cowboy.

Jack stood from the bed and walked to the edge of the room. "How the hell..." He muttered.

"He's a good kid, Jack..." Ennis tried.

"Why didn't you call me?" Jack asked, hurt that Ennis hadn't told him right away, that he hadn't contacted him as soon as he'd found out.

"Didn't have your number...Or where ya were." Ennis told him. "What the hell was I supposed to do? Put a bounty on your head?"

"How did this even happen...?" Jack wondered aloud.

"You want me to spell it out for ya?" Ennis muttered, voice a little harsher than he'd intended.

"Ennis I just don't get it..." Jack sighed, pacing nervously around the room.

"What don't ya get?" Ennis asked, confused.

"I just..." Jack sighed. "I...I don't know..." He sat back down on the bed and held his head in his hands.

"Jack?" Ennis asked, touching the rodeo cowboy's shoulder.

"I shoulda been here..." Jack muttered, regret and shame in his voice.

"I wish ya woulda been." Ennis nodded. "But it ain't your fault. Ya know that right?"

"What's his name?" Jack asked then, rubbing at his eyes.

"Jack." Ennis replied.

"Oh God..." Jack groaned, lowering his head again as if he were crying.

"Jack it ain't your fault..." Ennis tried again.

"I've been a Daddy all this time?" Jack asked. "And I didn't even know..."

Ennis sighed and reached out with both hands. "Comere..." He whispered, pulling Jack back into a comforting embrace.

He held him the rest of the night, while Jack cried and prayed for forgiveness for neglecting the son he never knew that he had.

TBC


	3. First Meetings

"I still can't believe..." Jack sighed while he drove back towards Ennis's apartment from their motel.

"I couldn't either." Ennis admitted. "It was a big shock."

Jack shook his head. "I just can't believe...I've been a daddy all this time. Even before little Bobby." He muttered.

"You'll like him." Ennis assured him. "He's a good kid."

"I don't doubt it." Jack replied. "Got to much of you in him not to be a good one."

Ennis got quiet, and gnawed at his lip.

"You alright?" Jack asked.

"I dunno..." Ennis sighed. "I guess maybe if I'd tried a little harder to find ya..."

"Ain't your fault." Jack assured him, even though he felt like it sort of was. If Ennis would've staid with him after Brokeback then he could've been there to see his son grow.

"Told him stories about ya." Ennis muttered.

"Did ya?" Jack asked with a little grin. "What did ya say?"

"Told him 'bout the rodeoin', and that damned harmonica." Ennis said. "About your Mama and the Pentecost and how you're always whinin about stuff."

"Hey, now that ain't fair." Jack almost laughed. "I ain't always whinin'."

"I don't remember a day you weren't bitchin' at somethin', Jack Twist." Ennis replied as a matter of factly.

Jack chuckled and Ennis went quiet.

"Missed ya, En." Jack told him after a little while.

"Yeah..." Ennis muttered. "Missed ya too, Rodeo."

Jack smiled as they pulled up to Ennis's little apartment above the laundromat.

"Looks like Laura Lynn beat us here." Ennis said when he saw his sister's truck.

"She got the little guy?" Jack asked, hopping out of the truck.

"Yep." Ennis confirmed.

Jack took in a deep breath. "Well...moment of truth I guess." He whispered to himself.

"Come on." Ennis told him, leading the way up the stairs to the apartment.

Jack sucked in another deep breath for strength before following.

"Laura Lynn?" Ennis called as he came through the door.

"In here!" His sister replied from the living room where she sat with LJ, who was coloring a picture on the floor.

Ennis came through the hallway into the living room and LJ jumped up to greet him.

"Daddy!" He exclaimed happily and ran and jumped up into Ennis's arms.

"Hey stud." Ennis smiled and kissed his forehead. "Sleep good last night?"

"Uh huh." LJ nodded, his little arms wrapped around Ennis's neck as he rested his sweet head against his shoulder.

"Ennis...?" Came Jack's timid voice as he slowly stepped up behind him.

LJ pulled up and stared in bewilderment at Jack.

Laura Lynn stood from the couch. "Well..." She said, in an attempt to make herself scarce. "I'm gonna go do up some dishes. Holler if ya need me, Ennis." She fled to the kitchen, leaving the boys to themselves.

LJ looked reluctantly from Jack to Ennis.

"Is he...Daddy?" He whispered.

"Yes he is." Ennis nodded, going to set his son back down.

"How 'bout ya go say hi." He told him. "He came a long ways to see ya."

LJ clung tightly to Ennis, unsure of whether he should approach Jack or not.

Jack stood, looking proudly at the little boy, his hat held in his hands as he fiddled with it out of nervousness.

"Go on." Ennis told LJ. "It's okay."

The little boy looked up at Ennis, eyes big and scared. Ennis simply stroked through his hair lovingly for encouragement.

LJ turned to look at Jack, and slowly but surely, he let go of Ennis and stepped cautiously towards the stranger.

Jack kneeled down, so that he could be eye level with his son, and smiled at him sweetly.

"Hey, Buddy." He greeted the child, who was still keeping a little distance between them.

"Say hi, LJ." Ennis encouraged his son.

LJ opened his mouth timidly. "H..hi." He muttered.

Jack slowly reached out a hand to the boy. "It's good to finally meet ya." He said. "I'm Jack Twist."

LJ slowly reached his much smaller hand out, as his Daddy had taught him, to shake Jack's bigger one. "I'm Jack Twist too." He replied, voice quiet and still a little unsure.

Ennis smiled at the pair, and Jack's grin widened.

"You know who I am?" Jack asked the little boy.

LJ nodded. "You're my other Daddy." He said.

"Yeah..." Jack nodded. "That's right...And you're my little boy."

LJ gnawed at his little lip. "Do you really ride big buckin' bulls?" He asked Jack after a little while.

Jack smiled proudly. "Sure do." He confirmed. "Maybe one day I'll teach ya. If your up for it."

LJ nodded then suddenly jumped forward and threw his little arms around Jack in a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're home, Daddy." He told him.

Jack's heart cracked and he brought his arms up to return his son's hug.

"I'm glad too, son." He said.

Ennis smiled at the scene before him. He'd only wished he could've introduced them sooner.

LJ turned his head back to look at Ennis. "He looks just like me, Daddy." He told him, then turning back to examine Jack and the many features that resembled his own.

"I told ya you looked like him didn't I?" Ennis replied with a grin.

"Lucky little thing." Jack piped up. "He's gonna be one handsome fella when he grows up, aren't ya son?"

LJ giggled and returned to hugging his long lost father.

Finally, for the first time in his young life, he had a real family.

TBC


	4. Plans

Ennis came into his bedroom after tucking LJ into bed.

"He asleep?" Jack asked with a yawn, from where he laid comfortably beneath the covers.

"Snorin' just like his Pa." Ennis replied, climbing onto the other side of the bed.

Jack chuckled and pulled Ennis in closer before pressing his mouth onto the blonde's.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for ya." He told him then. "I know it musta been a rough ride all by yourself."

"Quit that, Jack Twist." Ennis muttered. "Already told ya. It ain't yer fault."

"Well I'm the one that knocked ya up ain't I?" Jack asked. "Cause if not you've got some explainin' to do mister."

"Quit. Said it ain't your fault. I handled it." Ennis assured him again.

"Alright, alright..." Jack sighed, laying his head back against the pillows and running his hand through Ennis's soft blonde curls.

"What're we gonna do now, huh cowboy?" He asked Ennis after a good long while of peaceful silence.

Ennis breathed softly into Jack's chest. "Dunno there's nothin' we can do..." He replied.

"Ennis, I can't stay away." Jack protested. "Not from you, and not from my son. Not anymore."

"Jack..." Ennis tried. "Two guys?Livin' together? No way."

Jack's heart sank. "En, we can hide it." He tried. "You know we can. Please."

"Nowhere to hide, Jack." The blonde cowboy muttered.

"Maybe not here." Jack agreed. "But we can get a place can't we? What about my Daddy's place up at Lightnin' Flat?"

"Jack, your wife." Ennis reminded him. "What's she gonna do then?"

"Ennis, Lureen and me ain't got the spark of a burnt out engine between us." Jack argued. "Hell she's been sneakin' around with the bankers kid anyway. I don't think me leavin's gonna hurt her feelins any."

"Safer there than ya are with me." Ennis said.

"Damn you Ennis Del Mar!" Jack growled. "I don't wanna be anywhere but with you!"

Ennis got quiet and Jack sighed, regretting raising his voice the way he had.

"Look..." He tried again. "Lureen's old man would give me a down payment to get lost. I mean he more or less already said it."

"Don't make it right." Ennis grumbled back. "With her havin' a baby an' all."

Jack scoffed. "I'll tell ya somethin' Ennis." He said. "That gal ain't got to be a mama to my little boy. Hell I take better care of him than she does. I bet the little old woman next door has held him more times than Lureen."

"Sad..." Ennis agreed.

"Well that ain't even half of it. If I leave Lureen, Bobby comes with me. He's better off that way and I doubt Lureen would care a bit." Jack finished.

"Jack..." Ennis tried to argue.

"Answer me this, Ennis." Jack stopped him. "Are you happy? Livin' like this, I mean?"

Ennis fell silent.

"Alright. That's what I thought." Jack continued. "And you know that I ain't happy with what I got in Childress."

"What're you gettin' at Jack Twist?" Ennis muttered.

"You know exactly what I'm gettin' at, Ennis Del Mar." Jack replied. "I say we take the boys. Both of 'em. LJ and Bobby. And we head on up to my Daddy's place."

"Ya don't think yer old man's gonna be askin' questions 'bout us?" Ennis tried him.

"Ennis quit yer bitchin' and listen to me." Jack stopped him again. "You know this is gonna be for the best. For LJ and Bobby too."

"Jack you just don't know what happens to boys like us..." Ennis told him.

"Fuck it." Jack growled. "If I gotta sit up at night with a damned twelve gauge in my hand just to be with you I'll do it!"

"Jack..." Ennis protested again.

"Ennis, please." Jack begged him. "It'll just be for a little while. Until we can get a place of our own."

Ennis was quiet once more.

Jack leaned down and nuzzles the back of his neck.

"You know how much I love you..." He told Ennis. "Now I know you love me too, Ennis."

Ennis was quiet still. He couldn't say it. He felt it alright, but he just couldn't admit it. But that was alright. Jack already knew.

"Let me take care of you, alright?" Jack asked him, taking one of his hands. "Just think. It'll be me, you, LJ and Bobby. Maybe a couple more later on if your up for it."

"If you want more, you'll bear 'em yourself, Jack Fuckin' Twist." Ennis warned him.

Jack chuckled and kissed his ear gently.

"Is that a yes or a no, huh?" He asked him, voice barely a whisper.

"Jack...I dunno..." Ennis mumbled back.

"Please." Jack begged once more. "I swear I won't let nobody hurt you."

Ennis gave Jack's hand a little squeeze.

"...We'll try it." He said.

It was the music Jack's ears had been waiting to hear for four long years.

TBC


	5. Coming Home

"Why are we goin' away?" LJ asked with a frown while Ennis buttoned up his little coat.

"Gonna go live with Daddy." Ennis muttered in reply. "He's got a nice big house."

"Really?" LJ asked. "How come we're gonna go live with him? Can't he live here?"

"Not big enough, son." Ennis replied, picking his little boy up and heading for the front door of their little apartment.

Jack, who was coming in at the same time, held the door open for them.

"That the last box over there?" He asked, indicating the packed box sitting in the entry way.

"Yep. Just that and the suitcases downstairs." Ennis replied, before heading down the porch steps to the truck with LJ in his arms.

"I'm gonna miss it here." LJ said with a frown.

"Aw you'll like it in Lightnin' Flat." Ennis assured him. "Grandma and Grandpa are gonna be there. You can get to know 'em finally."

"I thought Grandma and Grandpa were up in Heaven, Daddy." LJ replied in confusion. Ennis had told him of his parents and the car crash, so he was just a bit confused.

"Well son, you got another Grandma and Grandpa." Ennis explained to him, buckling him into his seatbelt in the truck.

"I do?" LJ asked, his face brightening up a little.

"Yep. Your Daddy's Mama and Daddy. They live up in Lightnin' Flat where we're goin'." Ennis told him.

LJ smiled and Ennis kissed his head.

"Ready to go?" Jack asked, carrying the last box down to the truck.

"Yep." Ennis nodded, picking up the suitcases at his feet and loading them into he back of the truck bed.

Jack had a big grin on his face that just wouldn't fade. Finally, after four years, he was getting everything he's ever wanted.

"Your folks know we're comin' to stay?" Ennis asked him.

"Yep." Jack nodded. "I put in a call to Mama just a little while ago. She can't wait to meet everybody."

"What about the old man?" Ennis asked them. He'd assumed from Jack's stories about him that Old Man Twist might be a bit of a problem.

"Off on business is what Mama said." Jack told him. "Won't be back for a good week or two."

"Sounds good to me." Ennis sighed, opening up his truck door and climbing inside.

"I'll meet ya'll up there." Jack told him, removing his hat and leaning in for a kiss from Ennis and then reaching over to gentle ruffle LJ's hair.

"Drive careful." Ennis told him, before closing his door and starting up the truck.

"I will." Jack replied before climbing up into his own pick up.

...

"Your man finally come for ya, Jack?" Lureen asked at the other end of the line Jack was calling from.

"As a matter of fact he did." Jack confirmed. "And that ain't all. I guess I had him in a family way after that Summer. I got another little boy, Lureen. A perfect little boy. Name's Jack Junior. En's been callin' him LJ for Little Jack."

"Well ya know I won't hold ya back if your rearin' to stay with 'em." Lureen replied. "I guess you'll wanna take Bobby too?"

"Only if you want me too." Jack told her. "Otherwise I wouldn't wanna separate him from ya."

"I can't raise him by myself, Jack." Lureen reminded her husband. "You know he'd be better off if you went on and took him."

"Fine with me. I'll be down for him in a couple days." Jack agreed. "You can come visit anytime ya wanna. Or I can bring him down anytime too."

"I know ya will." Lureen sighed into the phone. "You were always a good friend to me, Jackie. It's gonna be a sight different not havin' you around here."

"I'll visit." Jack promised. "And you can too. And feel free to call me, Lureen. Don't be a stranger. You've been a big help in all this."

"Don't mention it, Hun." She replied. "But listen, let me be the one to file for divorce. Wouldn't want anybody to get suspicious now would we?"

"Thanks, Lureen." Jack told her. "I'll call ya when I get up to my folks. Let ya know when I'll be comin' for Bobby."

"Sounds good." Lureen replied. "Bye, Rodeo."

"Bye Darlin'." He told her before the line went dead and he hung up the phone.

Ennis and LJ came walking out of the gas station, LJ with an ice cream cone in his hand.

"Get everything settled?" Ennis asked Jack.

"Yep. I'll be callin' her later when we get home and figure out when I'll be headin' down for Bobby." Jack confirmed.

"Daddy?" LJ asked.

"Yeah, son?" Ennis replied, looking down at him.

"No, my other Daddy."

Jack grinned. "Whatcha need, kiddo?" He asked him.

"Can I ride with you in your truck now?" He asked.

Jack looked hopefully up at Ennis and so did LJ.

"It's alright by me." Ennis confirmed. "Just be sure he wears his seatbelt."

"Oh I will. Don't worry." Jack smiled brightly, lifting LJ up and making the little boy giggle with glee.

Ennis smiled and crossed the parking lot over to his own truck. He was glad they seemed to be getting along so quickly. He was worried maybe LJ wouldn't take to him as fast as he'd hoped.

"Here ya go little man." Jack said, buckling LJ into the passenger seat of his big red pick up before going over to the driver's side and hoping in.

"Ya like music?" He asked LJ, who nodded happily.

"Well alright. How bout a little Hank Williams?" He asked, finding a country station.

"My favorite!" LJ clapped.

Jack grinned. He really was a chip off the old block.

...

Mrs. Twist was waiting out on the front porch when Jack and Ennis pulled up the dusty driveway.

"Jack Daniel Twist!" She called to her son. "You shoulda told me I had another grand baby sooner!"

Jack picked a sleeping LJ gently and carried him up to the house.

"Well I didn't know ya had one till a couple days ago, Mama." He whispered so that he didn't wake his son.

Mrs. Twist frowned at him. "We'll talk about that one later, young man." She promised him, shaking a finger at him disapprovingly. "Right now I wanna see this baby." She held out her arms and Jack allowed her to take little LJ from him.

"Oh what a precious little angel he is." She smiled, tears coming to her eyes as she carried her grandson the rest of the way to the house.

Ennis climbed out of his truck and approached Jack.

"Where's my boy?" He asked, looking around for LJ.

"Mama snatched him from me." Jack chuckled, turning to go and unload all of the luggage, grabbing one of Ennis's ass cheeks in the process and earning himself a scowl.

Life was gonna be sweet here in Lightning Flat. That much was certain.

TBC


	6. Taking Flight

"So this is Ennis Del Mar?" Mrs. Twist asked, standing before Ennis when he finally came through the front door.

"Pleased to meet'cha mam." Ennis greeted her, voice soft as he offered a hand.

"Well honey, I sure am happy to see you. You can call me Darlene." Mrs. Twist told him with a smile, taking his hand and shaking it properly. "And I'm glad you brought my grand baby up to see me. Jackie still hasn't brought little Bobby up and it's been eight months since the little Darlin' got here."

There was no question where Jack's passion for conversation came from. Mrs. Twist was a talker. Just like her son and LJ.

"Well I'm happy for him to see ya, mam." Ennis nodded. "You're all the grandma he's got."

"Oh you poor Dear." She frowned, still holding his hand in hers as she shot a disapproving glare at her son who was stuffing his face with cherry cake in the kitchen.

"Jack Daniel Twist, how dare you leave this poor boy all by himself to raise a child!" She scolded him.

"Mama, I..." Jack started to speak, his voice muffled by the cake.

"He didn't know mam." Ennis explained. "I didn't know how to find him. It was my fault."

"Well..." Mrs Twist sighed. "I suppose I can let Jackie off a little easier then. And anyway, the little fella sure is a blessing. The sweet little Darlin'. He must be exhausted. He's just snoozin' away on the couch there."

Ennis glanced over to LJ, who was sleeping on the couch in the living room and he smiled a little, happy that he could finally give LJ the family he deserved.

"Jackie, honey, How about ya show Ennis to your room?" Mrs. Twist suggested to her son.

Jack swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Just what I was thinkin' myself." He nodded, walking out from behind the kitchen counter and taking Ennis by the arm.

"Let's go see the new digs, lil' darlin'." He smiled at him, pecking his cheek and making him blush with embarrassment.

"Jack..." He warned him as they walked away and up the set of rickety stairs.

"Hey don't worry about it." Jack assured him, opening the door up to his old room. "Mama knows all about me. She don't mind it."

Ennis grumbled something unintelligible under his breath as Jack led him through the door.

"Well, here we are." He smiled, going over to the closed window and propping it open.

"Bed's a little small, ain't it?" Ennis frowned.

"That's why we packed your old mattress up, cowboy." Jack reminded him. "Can't have ya sleepin' on the floor, now can we?"

He took Ennis by the waist and pulled him up against his body.

"What're ya doin?" Ennis grumbled.

"Oh, just breakin' the place in." Jack grinned, wagging his eyebrows at him.

"Jack..." Ennis groaned at him.

"Aw come on now, cowboy." Jack pleaded. "Mama's gonna be down there fussin' over LJ for the rest of the night. We can do whatever we want up here. Nobody'll bother has."

Ennis was silent and Jack started kissing on the soft skin of his neck, like he knew he liked.

"Jack fuckin' Twist..." Ennis growled. "Always gettin' what he wants..."

"And don't you forget it, cowboy." Jack chuckled, moving them both towards the little bed and laying Ennis gently down onto it.

They made love for the next two hours on Jack's creaky old mattress, and it was the best time either of them ever had.

...

"When I grow up, I'm gonna ride the big buckin' bulls. Just like Daddy does." LJ explained to his Grandma.

Darlene Twist smiled at her little Grandson. "You know, your Grandpa used to ride the bulls too." She told him. "Just like your Daddy does."

"Really?" LJ gaped in amazement, mouth hanging wide open in surprise.

"That's right." Mrs. Twist confirmed. "They both have all sorts of buckles and trophies for it. Want me to show ya some?"

He nodded excitedly and Mrs. Twist offered a hand to him.

"Come on, honey." She told him. "Everything's in your Granddaddy's office."

She led LJ down the hallway to a little workroom, where a large trophy shelf stood, covered in awards from all the years before.

"Wow!" LJ gasped. "That's a lot!"

Darlene smiled and opened up one of the cabinets.

"I want ya to have somethin', honey." She told LJ. "This was your Daddy's."

She took a shiny, silver buckle from the trophy case. A picture of a cowboy on a bull was carved into the front and Jack's name was just below that.

"Wow." LJ awed at the shiny buckle, carefully accepting the gift. "Thanks, Grandma!"

Mrs. Twist smiled and kissed his head while ruffling his hair.

"Wanna help me make supper, honey?" She asked him.

"Yeah!" LJ agreed enthusiastically, jumping up and taking his grandma's hand and letting her lead him back to the kitchen.

"Hey there, son." Jack smiled at his little boy when he and Mrs. Twist entered the kitchen. "Havin' a good time?" He'd been drowning a large cupful of water to replenish himself from he and Ennis's little romp upstairs.

"Yeah!" LJ nodded. "Look Daddy! I got your belt buckle!" He told his father, voice filled with excitement as he held his new prize up.

"Wow! You sure do. Fits ya nice too. Ya look like a real cowboy." Jack told his son.

The little guy really was a chip off the old block, and Jack couldn't have been prouder.

Now he just needed to teach the little guy everything he knew and they'd have a real carbon copy runnin' around the place.

...

About a month after moving to Lightning Flat, Jack managed to find them a little place of their own just five miles from his parents's ranch.

It wasn't much, but they had enough to get started. A nice house, a barn, and a good eighty acres for cattle. Enough for a start of their own operation.

The first thing Ennis did was go out a buy them a pair of horses. A gelding and a mare, to help out with the ranch work, and he and Jack had a time taking LJ to the sale barn to pick out the first of their beef herd.

Jack and his son grew closer everyday, and soon it was as if he'd been there with him all along, never absent from his life at all.

Jack taught his son how to tell the good cattle from the sickly looking ones, and how to pick a decent bull, and in return, LJ made him laugh with his silly little boy antics and made some memories for him that Jack wouldn't trade for the world.

Things started off great and we're going good when suddenly, they were met with quite a surprise.

"Jack..." Ennis called from the living room. "Commere."

"What's the trouble?" Jack asked, piggy backing LJ down the hallway while the little boy laughed with glee.

"LJ, how about ya go play with your toys, huh?" Ennis suggested.

"Yeah!" LJ agreed, while Jack lowered him down. He hurried off to his room upstairs and Jack turned to Ennis.

"What's the problem, cowboy?" He asked him.

Ennis silently passed something to him and Jack's eyes widened in shock. It was a POSITIVE pregnancy test.

"You sure?" He asked, looking the thing over good and hard to be sure he was really seeing it clearly.

"Mornin' sickness, then this." Ennis grumbled. "I think so."

Jack grinned and sat the test back down.

"Commere', Cowboy." He chuckled, grabbing Ennis up in a tight embrace and kissing him deep and hard.

This was finally it. They're life together was finally starting to take off.

TBC


	7. Goodbyes & Hellos

"You can come visit whenever ya wanna, Lureen." Jack told his soon to be ex wife.

The woman nodded to him, watching from the doorway as Jack carried Bobby out to the truck.

"You take care of him now, ya hear?" She said to him.

"Haven't I always?" Jack replied. "Don't worry. I'll do everything for him."

Lureen wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm gonna miss you both." She said. "Ain't gonna be the same around here."

Jack turned and came back to the door, hugging Lureen once more and pecking her cheek.

"You're gonna find a real good fella for yourself, honey." He assured her. "And the two of you are gonna have all kinds of little ones together, and your Daddy's gonna love him like a son, and everything'll be a good sight better."

Lureen pulled back slowly from the hug and nodded before kissing little Bobby.

"You be good for your Daddy." She told him. "Mama'll come visit whenever she can."

"Mama?" Bobby asked, pointing to Lureen.

Lureen wiped her eyes again. "Am I doin' the right thing?" She asked Jack. "Cause it don't feel like it."

"Lureen..." Jack started.

"I know...I know. He'll be better off with you." She agreed, rubbing at her watering eyes to keep the tears away.

Jack gave her one more hug and she kissed Bobby once more.

"Goodbye, Rodeo." She sniffled. "And my little man."

Jack gnawed his lip. God this was kinda hard.

"Bye, Cowgirl." He told Lureen. "I'll call when we get to Wyoming."

Lureen nodded and waved as she watched them head to Jack's truck.

"Say bye bye to Mommy." Jack told little Bobby as he buckled him into his car seat.

"Mama!" He exclaimed.

Jack shrugged. Close enough.

"You take care of yourself." He told Lureen as he climbed into the driver's seat and backed out of the driveway.

Lureen waved to them and watched them drive away, until they were out of sight.

She'd be okay eventually. She just needed some time.

...

The second month of pregnancy didn't help the morning sickness at all, and Ennis was feeling pretty miserable.

It didn't help either that Jack had gone for Texas and wasn't there to help him. But of course, he had to go fetch Bobby from Lureen. It had been far to long a wait anyway.

"Daddy? What's my baby brother like?" LJ asked, playing with his toys in front of the TV while Ennis stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing with tap water to get the taste of puke out of his mouth.

"I don't know, son." He admitted after he'd finished. "I haven't met him yet either."

LJ thought to himself for a moment. "I hope he likes to play cowboys too." He said after awhile.

"I'm sure he will." Ennis assured him, coming into the living room with a small plate of saltine crackers and taking a seat in Jack's recliner.

LJ and Ennis waited patiently for another few hours for Jack to return, and finally at around nine that night, LJ watched eagerly from the window as Jack's headlights shone pulling into the driveway.

"Daddy's home!" He shouted, alerting Ennis, who was cleaning the kitchen up from supper.

"LJ! Stay inside now." Ennis called to his son, reminding him of heir rule. He wasn't supposed to leave the house by himself. Just in case it wasn't Jack that had pulled in.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" LJ cheered, bouncing around by the door, waiting for Jack to come in.

Ennis watched out the window while Jack unbuckled little Bobby from his car seat. His nerves were sparking up again. Probably because having a baby around the house was gonna be a bit of a challenge. Especially when he was already pregnant with another.

LJ continued to bounce with glee as Jack walked up the driveway and finally reached the door.

"Here we are..." He announced to his ten month old son as he entered the house.

Bobby lifted his little head from Jack's shoulder and peered around curiously.

LJ latched onto Jack's legs tightly. "Daddy!" He exclaimed happily.

Bobby stared down at him in confusion as Jack Ruffles his oldest son's hair affectionately.

"Hey there, kiddo. Miss me did ya?" He chuckled.

"Yeah! A bunch!" LJ confirmed, still holding onto one of Jack's legs as his father strolled into the living room to the couch.

"Hey Ennis!" He called. "I'm home!"

"Daddy?" LJ asked, staring up at baby Bobby. "Is this him? My baby brother?"

Jack smiled and kissed Bobby's little head. "Yep. This is Bobby. Here, son. Say hi." He gently sat Bobby down on his knee where LJ could see him better.

The little boy gasped with joy. "Hi baby brother." He greeted Bobby. "I'm LJ, and we're gonna be best friends now okay?"

"Dada." Bobby mouthed, pointing at Jack.

Jack chuckled. "He don't say much yet, but we can teach him. Can't we son?" He asked LJ.

"Yep!" The little boy confirmed, nodding happily before hugging little Bobby.

"Well look at that..." Ennis smiled, finally joining them in the living room. "Friends already are they?"

"Was there ever any doubt they would be?" Jack smiled back.

"Can he play with me now?" LJ asked.

"Well I don't see why not." Jack replied, gently lifting Bobby from his knee and setting him down on the floor with LJ. "Just be careful that he don't put nothin' in his mouth."

LJ nodded and offered one of his plastic Cowboys to Bobby.

"Here ya go." He told him. "You can be the blue cowboy."

Bobby reached out his little hand and grasped the toy, then waving it around happily.

LJ laughed. "Daddy look!" He called to Jack. "He likes it."

"Dada!" Bobby hollered, pointing up at Jack.

Jack and Ennis smiled as they watched he boys.

Their boys.

Hopefully they'd get along just as well with the next little Del Mar-Twist baby.

Jack placed a hand on Ennis's still flat belly while the boys played on the floor beneath them.

"How's Ennis Junior doin?" Jack asked.

"Hate to tell ya, Bud." Ennis said, covering his hand with one of his own. "But I'm sure this ones a girl."

TBC


	8. Jenny

The months went by and Bobby and LJ grew quite close.

LJ wanted to take Bobby everywhere. He lugged him out to the barn to play in the hay, to the corral to watch the horses, and up to his room to play with his toys.

It was like they'd been together their whole lives.

"Like two peas in a pod ain't they?" Jack smiled, watching the boys play in the living room while he sat at the kitchen table.

"Mmhmm." Ennis hummed in reply, holding one had on his large, swollen belly as he came to the table and sat a plate of food down infront of Jack.

"You ought to not be bringin' me my food like that." Jack told him. "You heard what Doc Sanders said at your last appointment. You're supposed to stay off your feet."

"My legs ain't broke." Ennis muttered, struggling to sit down next to Jack with his large midsection sticking out infront of him.

"You've gotta take it easy, Ennis." Jack told him, sticking a large bite of steak into his mouth. "You're gonna make little Junior pop out too early if ya ain't careful."

Ennis waved him off, and took a long drink of milk.

"Daddy? Where's my puppy gonna sleep when it gets here?" LJ asked, coming up to stand by Ennis's chair while Bobby rushed after him on wobbly legs.

"Puppy?" Ennis asked, completely confused.

"Yeah. Where's he gonna sleep at?" LJ asked.

Ennis glanced at Jack, who nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"You boys go on and play, son." Ennis told LJ, giving Jack a glare the whole time. "Daddy and I need to talk."

"Come on, Bobby." LJ took his little brother's tiny hand and led him back to the living room.

"What's this about a dog, Jack?" Ennis asked.

"Well...Ya know his birthday's comin' up." Jack said. "I told him I'd get him a puppy."

Ennis growled.

"Well, hey, a boy should have himself a good dog." Jack defended himself. "I had a dog at his age, and I'm bettin' you did too, am I right?"

Ennis grumbled something under his breath.

"What was that, Hun? Couldn't hear ya." Jack said sarcastically, leaning closer.

"I said you shoulda asked me first, Jack Fuckin' Twist." Ennis growled.

"Sorry, honey." Jack sighed. "I just thought it'd make the little guy happy is all."

Ennis went to say something else but before he could he felt a strange cramping sensation in his abdomen.

"You alright?" Jack asked, worried.

"Fine." He grumbled, placing a hand on the place the pain had come from.

"You sure?" Jack asked.

Ennis nodded. "Think he was kickin'." He replied. "Hurts sometimes."

Jack wasn't so sure but he didn't want to push Ennis any further so he left it be for the moment.

...

"Ennis Del Mar! We're going to the hospital right now." Jack stated, digging the hospital bags out of the closet.

"S'fine." Ennis grunted, obviously in pain as he rubbed his back with one hand, trying to ease the agony in his lower body.

He recognized the labor pains, but was to stubborn to acknowledge them as what they were.

"Yeah, well you just keep thinkin' that." Jack sighed, getting on the phone and dialing up his mother.

"Yeah, hey, Mama? Can you watch the boys?" He spoke into the phone.

Ennis groaned and held his belly. He didn't want this to be happening now. It was too soon.

"Thanks, Mama. I'll bring 'em to ya...Yeah I'm takin' him right now. Okay. Yep. Bye." Jack hung up the phone and hurried to wake the boys.

Ennis huffed, trying to breathe the damned contraction away.

It was only going to get worse before it got better. That he knew from experience.

But at least it would end up being worth it in the end.

...

"Congratulations Mom and Dad!" The doctor exclaimed, lifting a very tiny, screaming baby up and laying it against Ennis's chest.

"Saints Alive would ya look at that!" Jack hollered, filled with excitement and joy as he gazed at his new child.

Ennis was pale from loss of blood and still panting to get his breath back. His hair was all sweaty and stuck up in different places, and he had tear streaks down his eyes.

Never the less, Jack had never seen him more beautiful.

"S'it another boy?" Ennis managed to ask the doctor while the nurse helped Jack to cut the cord.

"A girl this time, honey." The doctor told him, listening to the little one's heartbeat.

The baby screamed loudly in protest.

"Woowee she's sure got a set of pipes don't she?" Jack laughed. "Gets that from me."

Ennis never took his eyes off their new baby girl. She was so perfect that he just couldn't.

"Five pounds, three ounces." The nurse told the doctor after weighing the baby.

"Well she's a little early. That's probably why." The doctor said, handing the little bundle back over to Ennis. "Nothin' to worry about. She's healthy as a horse."

"Impatient. That's you in her too." Ennis grumbled, making Jack chuckle and kiss his face.

...

"Can she come home now?" LJ asked, sitting up on the bed and watching his new baby sister sleeping in Ennis's arms.

"Two days." Ennis replied.

"She's a little earlier than we thought she'd be, son. They wanna make sure she's nice and healthy before we bring her home." Jack explained.

"Daddy? Baby?" Bobby asked, pointing to the little one.

"Yep. That's the baby." Jack confirmed to his youngest son. "Say hi, Bobby. She'd love to meet ya."

Bobby waved his hand at the baby, who stared at him with big blue eyes.

"She likes you, Bobby." LJ told his little brother.

Bobby nodded, smiling happily.

"What's her name?" LJ then asked Ennis.

"We're callin' her Jenny." Ennis told him, laying back against his pillow weakly.

"Hi Jenny." The little boy got up into the baby's face to greet her. "I'm LJ. We're gonna be buddies just like me and Bobby."

Jack grinned proudly. His brood was growing, and he couldn't be happier.

He was one lucky man. That was for sure.

TBC


End file.
